Story Structure and Submissions
Overview: Welcome to the new Dusk Storyline Structure Primer and Submission Primer! First: We'd like to make sure everyone is aware that you do not need to submit any sort of info for a personal storyline that is purely interactions and RP between PCs. Thus, the storyline of Character A and Character B meeting, falling in love, getting married, cheating on one another, divorcing, and attempting to murder one another doesn't actually require any emails to be sent in, as it requires no staff support. Second: Please keep in mind that any storyline and antagonist(s) submitted will be viewable by all of Staff, and may be shared with the Plot Monkeys if we deem it appropriate and useful to do so. Keep in mind that if the Plot Monkeys are given access to this information, it is done with the intent and understanding that it be used to provide more comprehensive staff support and assistance to you. The next section of this page is a primer on story structure - specifically, the Three Act structure that's been in use for... well, forever. This is the same story structure that's used on the TV shows that are in production right now (including for their longer season-length story arcs), as well as the structure that was used in the Greek plays and epics like The Illiad and The Odyssey. To be blunt, the Three Act structure is quite probably the most fundamental, time-tested story structure known to man. Any other structure you read about is probably just the Three Act structure with a new name and some obfuscation. After that, there's going to be a section on useful tools and shorthand ideas you can use to help with getting your story idea formed, fleshed out, and even in running it. The first of these will be a series of questions to consider - when you want to work on a story idea, these questions will help you flesh out the idea and give yourself enough information to really chew through it and make the story something fun and memorable (or help others run something fun and memorable for you and other players). Then we'll have some tricks and handy little ideas that can make things easier for you. Check back from time to time, because as we think of things, I'm sure we'll be jotting them down. So, take some time, look it over, and use the questions and tools to help really solidify your ideas, and give yourself a leg up in keeping things well-paced and interesting. Finally, there's another set of questions specifically for the plot/NPC submission process. These questions will be more specific and detail-oriented items that will let the staff keep things running smooth even when the PCs involved go running off in a completely unexpected direction. The more we know, the more verisimilitude we can provide in the RP experience. Story Structure Storylines are important, complex things. In order to help you craft engaging, immersive stories that capture and hold players' interest, it's generally useful to have a rough outline of the intended story. One of the simplest, and most effective ways to do this is breaking the story into 3 sections, or Acts. These Acts generally are not the same length in time or energy involved, but they are all important in preparing a solid story that not only holds the attention, but gives the players a real sense of drama and accomplishment. Act One Act One is the opening of the story - this is where the conflict is usually defined, and the primary characters presented to the reader. When dealing with players, this Act is usually the point where the PCs are recruited and learn of the challenge they need to deal with. Often, there will be initial setting posts to present the impending conflict and/or antagonists, and the PCs will be brought in afterwords. Sometimes, Act One is broken up into the Prologue/Prelude and then Act One proper. When this is done, the Prologue usually provides a brief glimpse into the nature of the eventual conflict, but one that is outside of the scope of the protagonists' awareness, and might never directly affect the course of the story. Example 1: In the recent White Lady storyline, Act One is when Ophelia, Daira, August, and Leora were all kidnapped, Beren and Marcus injured, and Orion, Rajesh, Nafian, and the Duke and Duchess were made aware of the threat posed by the White Lady. Example 2: In Star Wars, Act One begins with the opening credits, and ends with the Millennium Falcon making the jump into Hyperspace. In this example, the background information provided by the opening crawl can be viewed as a prologue to the events of the story itself. Act Two Act Two begins the efforts of the protagonists to learn more about just what it is they're up against. Sometimes additional protagonists are recruited during Act Two, but not always. Often there is an initial confrontation between the Protagonists and Antagonist (when there is an Antagonist, and not simply an abstract conflict such as Man vs. Himself). Inevitably, this initial confrontation does not occur without some loss or setback among the Protagonists. The seeds of the eventual solution will usually be sown at some point during Act Two. Act Two generally climaxes in the lowest, darkest point of the story. Example 1: In the White Lady storyline, Act Two begins with the wolf pooka Lucas attacking Orion in order to obtain Ophelia's blanket, and continues through the tracking of the blanket and recruitment of the first rescue mission, the partial failure of that mission, and the attack on Hearthsong. It closes as the White Lady withdraws, leaving the Freehold, its Baron, and many, many other fae dead in her wake, with healing and rescue efforts beginning. During Act Two, Orion resolves to assemble a large force, and Aubrey Steele swears that he will take the fight to the White Lady. Example 2: In Star Wars, Act Two begins with the instruction of Luke in the ways of the Force, sowing the seeds for the eventual resolution. The scope of the problem is made clear when Alderaan's destruction is made evident, and the Falcon is tractored into the Death Star. Act Two closes with the death of Obi-Wan, and the escape (but not triumph) of the heroes. Act Three Act Three takes the story from that lowest point through to the climactic final resolution of the conflict. This should be where all of the most intense, exciting, and dramatic action is. Example 1: In the White Lady storyline, Act Three begins with Orion recruiting his army, and continues through the expedition into the Dreaming, finally climaxing with the confrontation with the White Lady, and her defeat. Example 2: In Star Wars, Act Three begins with the Falcon's arrival on Yavin IV, and continues on through the destruction of the Death Star. Notice anything missing in those? Because yes, it's definitely missing. What is it? Denouement This is a critical and important part of the story that's often overlooked in persistent, online gaming - usually because most people feel the story never ends. But just like a TV series, or old movie serial, each story arc has to have a beginning and an end. In some ways, this is the bookend to the prologue. However, where the prologue can often be rolled into Act One, the denouement is always a distinct section of the story that takes place after the climax. This doesn't mean it needs to be in depth or complicated, though. One of the most famous and well-worn denouements in storytelling is "... and they lived happily, ever after." But where the climax gives resolution and closure to the conflict, the denouement gives resolution and closure to the story - to the events that are associated with that specific conflict in those characters' lives. Example 1: In the White Lady storyline, the denouement begins on the deck of the Flying Serpent during the journey back from the City of Bone, and includes Byron's resolution with Gawin. It continues in different directions for different characters, such as Aubrey's destruction of the Cold Iron dagger, or Orion getting Ophelia home. Example 2: In Star Wars, the denouement is the triumphant medal ceremony at the end of the film. Is That It? Is That All There Was? Nope. Good stories - especially stories told in serial form, like (again) a television series, or a series of films, or books, have connective tissue between one and the next. One of the best examples of this is the middle trio of classic (ie: TOS) Star Trek films: The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, and The Voyage Home. Each film builds directly on the events of the prior movie (unlike, say,'' The Final Frontier'' or The Undiscovered Country). This makes each of them stronger, in their own way. Most evidently, it means that the audience (and in this case, that's the same people playing the storyline out) has a built-in hook and interest in the next story. Example 1: In the White Lady storyline, some of the connective tissue at the end of the story is pretty thick - there's the Alex/Nafian split, and Fionn's 'death' and the key with Baby Fionn. Some of it is more tenuous, but leaves definite openings for follow-up stories (though they don't have to be immediate): Damiana's insistence that Byron 'owes her a white wolf', numbers of fae witnessing a werewolf with a fae mein, and many others. All of this leaves openings for future stories that build on what's come before - but are still their own stories. Example 2: Star Wars is actually pretty weak on connective tissue, because the studio didn't have much faith in the film's ability to rate a sequel. But Obi-Wan's ability to talk to Luke through the Force, despite being dead, is one piece, as is Vader's sensing that the Force was strong with that one particular pilot (which, in the larger story, leads him to investigate who that pilot was, and learn of 'Skywalker', which is touched upon in the scene where he communicates with the Emperor). Another is Han's debt to Jabba. Story Aids Storyline Development Questions These questions are intended to help you develop the basics and the scope of your storyline in your own head - some people like to work up outlines, too, but often that can lead you into trouble when the players decide 'hey, we got attacked by some kind of dream-monster in Colorado, we should look for the bad guy by investigating Chupacabra-related cattle mutiliations in the Philippines'. That really happened. I kid you not. These are a quick set of questions, but we'll have more that you can use to help crystallize The Plan in your head at Storyline Development Questions. #'What is the general theme of your storyline?' (Loss? Redemption? Depression? Love Conquers All? The Wyrm Attacks? This should be something that can be easily summed up - it is not an explanation of the central conflict, merely an intention for the overall theme of the story.) #'What is the basic nature of your conflict?' (Man vs. Man, Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Himself, Good vs. Evil, etc. Just give us an idea of where you're looking to take this.) #'What is the scope of the story?' (Some stories are small, personal tales. Some are massive, world-shaking events. Some are both, all at the same time. Telling us what you're shooting for can help us to help you shape it in order to get what you're after.) #'How many players are you expecting to have involved? How will they be involved?' (This is similar in nature to the 'scope' question, but a little more focused - if you're looking to have a small plot that involves a couple of dozen people in brief roles that touch on the events of one or two main protagonists, that's a very different thing from assembling an army and expecting each and every character involved to have a meaningful role that highlights their contributions and skills.) #'What are your intended/possible outcomes?' (Sure, sounds crazy, right? The heroes win, the bad guy loses, it's all good - but if you give yourself a few different possibilities that you're prepared for, then you can roll with the curves your players throw at you a lot easier. Don't try to think of 'what might the players do?', because there's more of them than there are of you, and they'll be using all their brains to come up with things your one brain didn't. Instead, come up with a few different ideas for how things should resolve, and you'll be in a better position to ask yourself 'how do I get there from here?' when something completely unexpected occurs.) Tricks and Tips Some of these things will be blatantly obvious to you; some won't. Life's funny that way: the blatantly obvious seldom is, until someone points it out somewhere along the way, and then at some later point, you'll find you can't believe other people don't already know it, too. We'll go into each of these in more depth at Storytelling Tricks and Tips. Mooks Mooks are disposable villain minions/henchmen/lackeys - they're the crowds of ninjas you see attacking Batman, or the horde of stormtroopers who can fill a corridor with blaster bolts, but can't hit the seven foot tall wookie running down the middle of it. That's not to say they shouldn't be dangerous, but they shouldn't be the big encounter. The easiest way to Mook it up is to just go ahead and assign them a generic number. Then they roll that number (or a derivative of it) for everything. Make It Personal Stories are always stronger when the reader has a reason to care. This is doubly true for players. Find ways to make the events of the story relevant to the characters' lives. Small touches can be immensely effective. Get to know the characters, what motivates them, what makes them tick. Fears are good - touching on a character's emotional traumas can provoke deeply personal results. And those results, and everyone else being able to share that moment can then drive character development and growth. NPCs and Antagonists Stories need people. Without 'em, you've just got a world where things happen, but nobody steps up to do anything about them. Worse, you've got a world where the only things that happen don't really happen for any reason. Rains come, winds blow, animals eat stuff, but to make events into story, well, you need people. And people - the ones who aren't just pieces of background fluff - have stories of their own. Those stories don't need to be fully fleshed out for an NPC to play a part in the current story, but there should be some sense of who this person is. That goes double for Antagonists. They're not just NPCs, they're Villains, and Villains need to have reasons for what they're doing. They don't necessarily have to have detailed histories, either - sometimes things like that are better filled in later - but they have to have enough reality that we can understand their motives. Even if sometimes that motive is, to quote Alfred Pennyworth, simply that "some men just want to watch the world burn". In truth, the truly insane, unreasonable (but not unreasoning) Antagonist can be an immensely fun element to throw into a plot, but they should be relatively rare. If every villain Batman ever faced was The Joker, it would lessen the impact considerably - things we see all the time often become trite, old hat. (This is an especially dangerous thing to avoid for Changeling plot, too, as the very idea of 'trite and old hat' is in and of itself anathema to them.) In order to help flesh out your NPCs and Antagonists, we've come up with a handy list of questions. As with the earlier sections, there's a far more detailed and extensive list being put in at Character Creation Questions, though those questions are generally a good framework for PCs, as well. Antagonist/NPC Questions #'Who is this NPC?' (Name, Rank, Auspice, Kith, Tradition, things like that.) #'What is this NPC's function in the story?' (Are they a villain? Someone there to aid the heroes? An information source? A red herring?) #'What is this NPC's motivation?' (Profits? Impress one of the PCs? Doing a favor for a friend? Cause chaos? Seize power? Eliminate rivals? This ties in with the NPC's function in the story, but instead of 'what does this NPC do here?', this question is 'why do they do it?') #'Where is this NPC normally found?' (Do they live in Denver? At one of the caerns? In the Umbra?) #'How difficult is it to locate this NPC?' (Generally speaking, are they someone you can track down with inquiries on the street? Are they in the phone book? On a scale of 2-10, how hard is it to find them with an appropriate Wits + Streetwise roll?) #'What kind of resources does this NPC have?' (Does the pawn shop owner the PCs are coming to about an ancient Roman coin deal exclusively in rare coins, or does he also do shadier dealings in guns and other hard to come by items? What kind of network does the drug dealer informant have? How large is that gang leader's gang, and how loyal to him are they? Just what sort of minions does that ancient vampire command?) #'What personal abilities does the NPC have? If the NPC is supernatural, what kind of powers does it wield?' (Rather self-explanatory, really, but basically - if you've got a sheet, this'd be where you'd put it.) Overall, remember that these tips, tools, and questions are here to help you make the most of your story ideas. The ultimate goal, of course, is for everyone to have fun. Category:Plot Category:Storylines